Video of Percy Bland being sworn in as mayor of Meridian

Here's video of Mayor Percy Bland (D - Meridian) taking the oath of office.  He is the first African-American mayor of Meridian.  (My apologies for the shakiness of the video.)

The Atlantic Covers Blue Tuesday: "Can Democrats Win Back the Deep South?"

ICYMI:
For your Sunday leisurely read, Molly Ball over at The Atlantic has a really incredible article covering Blue Tuesday and the Democratic movement to win back the Deep South.

As always, the whole article is worth a read, but Ball has some very good insight on the Mississippian municipal candidates that won the Blue Tuesday blowout. Here are some highlights:

Percy Bland, on his election as Mayor of Meridian:

"It's been a long time coming," Percy Bland, the 42-year-old mayor-elect of Meridian, told me. "We haven't had a Democratic mayor in Meridian since '76. And we won it running away, when people thought it would be very close." To win 54 percent of the vote, he said, he had to attract support from blacks and whites, Democrats, Republicans, and independents.

Mayor Moran, on her blow-out victory:

Moran didn't apologize for her progressive views: "I made my campaign about our people, our businesses, our schools, how much we've progressed and how much we need to continue," she said. "That word, progress, is not a dirty word." To charges that she was a tax-and-spend socialist, she responded by touting the public works she'd funded with tax dollars. "People want quality services, and they are willing to pay for that," she said. She won with 62 percent of the vote.

 There's a ton more in this article, and it is truly a great read from a national perspective, but our goal at Cottonmouth is to remain a state blog, so I suggest you hop on over to The Atlantic and read the rest for yourself.

With all of this coverage, though, it really makes you wonder if the Mississippian Republican leadership is starting to develop a distaste for apples.

Meridian mayoral race breaking for Bland

There are still some big boxes out, but it looks as though things are going Democratic challenger Percy Bland's way.  Will post more as I find out.

18% reporting in Meridian: Bland - 78%, Barry - 21%

Incumbent Meridian mayor Cheri Barry (R) is down significantly with 18% reporting.  This could be interesting....

For those wondering if Rep. Charles Young, Jr. is supporting Percy Bland for mayor

Here's a picture from a recent Bland for Mayor fundraiser:

Mayoral races to watch next Tuesday, Part 1

There are a few mayor's races left around the state that are hotly contested.  I'm going to take a brief look at those, and this is the first in a series.

Ocean Springs: Mayor Connie Moran (D) is seeking a third term, and is being challenged by Republican John McKay.  Mayor Moran successfully led Ocean Springs through Katrina and has spearheaded quite the revitalization of its Downtown.  She fended off well-funded Republican darling Scott Walker in the last election, and McKay has been linked with Walker's father and the troubles at DMR.  That, however, hasn't stopped Gov. Phil Bryant from heading south to support McKay. Should be interesting to see what shakes out Tuesday here.

Meridian:  Incumbent Mayor Cheri Barry (R) defeated challenger Percy Bland last time around by just a few hundred votes.  Bland, a State Farm agent, would become the first African-American mayor of Meridian if he is successful.  Last time around, the influential Young family didn't support Bland.  This time, though, Rep. Charles Young, Jr. (D - Meridian) has given impassioned speeches in support of Bland.  Will the troubles in the police department (unlicensed police chief), civil rights abuses in the school system (consent decree with the U.S. Dept. of Justice), and the support of the Young family be enough to push Bland over the top this time?